Been seeing lots of large flocks with strutters...Heard 2 gobblin up at my farm in Fq Fri morning. Gobbled 20 plus times. Saw a flock, twice of around 75-80 birds down in Westmoreland last week. One group had 26 longbeards w/ jakes and hens! Been a while since I've seen that many at once. Scouted this weekend in Charlotte and Prince Edward heard 3...... saw lots!

Well a beautiful day, drove a couple routes at first light and nothing. Two areas were open next to each other so put some boot leather down. Seeing a lot of fresh sign in both areas and while walking across this one ridge thought I heard a gobble off to the north east of me across a creek and on another ridge. This was about 1000. So sat down by a tree and waited glassing the area with my bino's. I then saw movement on the ridge 200 yards across from me. What materialized where it looked to be 7 hens and for sure 2 strutting longbeards. Watch them feed on the ridge top under some beechnuts. Of course the hens wanted nothing to due with the boys but they kept practicing their strutting off and on for about 20 mins till they woundered down off the other side of the ridge.

Before I could steady walk and scout all day now after 5-6 hours I have had enough. Nothing like putting boot leather down though.


Earl

Well another cool morning and some wind this morning = no gobblers heard. So tied on the leather boots and hit a couple spots in a couple training areas and found really fresh sign and a good amount. The sign was not there Jan 26th. So maybe some birds are moving back into the area since those spots have usally been good in springs past.

Well now back to work the next 4 days so Monday it will be.


Earl

Are you scouting a military base? Are you active or retired?

Retired (USMC), hunt Marine Corps Base Quantico as my primary and Fort AP Hill as backup. Been hunting Quantico and AP Hill for 30 years this year. 1982 stationed at Quantico and retired 1991.

Earl

Heard 4 different ones in s. fauquier this am. breezy but birds were gobblin. rode down to westmoreland this eve and saw the same BIG bunch...counted to 62 and quit.......10+ struttin. Darn crazy

I got to quit hunting the bases and hunt out my back door here in S. Fauquier. Sometimes when I get home my wife will say she heard a couple this morning out back.


Earl

I hunted Quantico for about 4 or 5 years when I first moved here.. killed I think 6 or 7 birds there .. but once I begged and borrowed and got a few private poperties to hunt the drive and the hassle of standing in line became too much for me.. I was just a brown card so I had to wait my turn .. which I happily did .. but the drive from Manassas became too much after they shut the gates coming in off of Aden Rd. It wasn't that bad when you could go down and get the permit the day prior for an area closer to me then go in off of Aden and hunt the next morning.. but after 9-11 that all changed, and you had to go in by the guard shack on the other end.. I hear now they make you get a background check too ..

I heard a single gobble this morning.

Have seen quite a few birds from the road the last couple days.

I would say we are at least a week ahead of where we should be or normally would be this time of year. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. We might be using gobbler yelps to call them in during May!

Heard one this morning, now in to work for a 4 hour training class, no boots on the ground today.

Yea those gate closing's hurt. But now they have a phone in reservation system where you call in and make a reservation for the next day. You then can pick it up that day or the day of the hunt by 0600. If you do not pick it up by 0600 the reservations not picked up are open to be used by anyone. And in the spring season last year on average 10 reservations were not being picked up. We will eventually get to the point as some other bases and hope like Ft Stewart, GA has and that is once you get your base permit you will never see the check station again unless you kill something all check in/out, changing areas is done by phone. Spring season they only allow 1 hunter per 225 ac in each area. In the fall its 1 hunter per 75 ac.

The back ground check is simple just since we started it last year it takes about 3 days to complete due to lack of authorized back ground check folks. Must be a law inforsement officer. The 3 Federal Wardens on base will do it in a pinch.

I vol. in the conservation program there on base. Try to get my hours in working the check station or turkey projects. I put in 100+ hours a year which entitles me to check out myself in the blue time frame and then take a guest hunter with me and they would not need to check out, only on paper wheather they are green, blue or brown.

If one puts in 50 hours in the program they move up for call in time. i.e. You would be able to call in ahead of other brown card holders that have not got any conservation time in or at least 50 hours.

Hope to maybe met you one day and you can put some boots back on the ground again there at the Q.


Earl

We might be using gobbler yelps to call them in during May!

That has worked very well for me in the spring.

But there should be plenty of lonely gobs in the 2 and 3rd week if those hens are sitting or a majority of them.

Earl

Saw 1 real good long beard today just a few miles from the house there were allot of other birds with him but didn't see any other tom's just him.

I Haven't heard the first gobble of the year yet. But I did see one heck of a flock the other day. They were walking across a field not to far from my house. It had to have had 20+ birds in it, only 2-4 toms, but a lot of jakes.

I deer hunted Fort AP Hill for a few years, remember waiting in line early in the morning to get my assigned area. I am guessing the process is still similiar at Quantico and FAPH? What is the green brown card thing? The entrance I know about is off I95, cant remember the exit #.

went out this morning and it was 28 degrees but did hear 3 gobblers Also found some good sign.

Doug